Sunday, October 13, 2024 was a day I'd thought about for over four and a half years.   You see, in 2020, when our church learned that we had a tremendous amount of money stolen fro us, I knew that the process of the criminal investigation and court proceedings would be drawn out and painful.  And while I wanted to see justice served and the money replaced, the greatest part to me was the day when the one who had wronged us would seek forgiveness, and our church would forgive him. It's a day that I spoke of in the very first meeting with my leaders in March 2020 - a day to forgive and restore.  And Sunday, October 13, 2024 was that day, and there are few days in my life I've ever been more ready for. 

You see, in March of 2020, when I learned that one of the people I considered my best friend and valued ministry partner had deceived me and stolen so much money from the church we were trying to build and lead - and that he had done this when my late wife was in the very late stages of colon cancer - I have never been more wounded by someone in my entire life.  Furthermore, the people that were part of our church, and the leaders who helped pick up the broken pieces and bring order and accountability back to a broken system - they were so wounded and hurt.  On top of that, the church people who had been mistreated and lied to - I spoke to so many of them over the course of those few years, with the tears flowing and anger being expressed -  they were wounded.  And the amount of hours that I spent over those years counseling and explaining and crying and hugging seem almost inumerable - this wound wasn't just a slap in the face. Rather, it was a crippling wound that could have handicapped our church for years to come, and perhaps even killed it.  To put it bluntly, Satan had his way for a season.

But God...

One of the ways that Christ-followers actually follow Christ is by looking towards forgiveness and restoration.  You see, our example of forgiveness is Jesus - He forgave on the cross ("Father, forgive them...") and more so, He forgave US. If you are a Christ-follower whose life has been changed through Christ's forgiveness of your sin, then YOU are to actively seek to forgive those "who trespass againt you."  Forgiveness isn't only a matter of you moving on and letting go; rather forgiveness is a matter of following Christ.

So after this egregious sin against our church was revealed, and as we uncovered more and more, it was the easiest thing in the world to get mad.  And want to seek justice.  And want to get payback.  But that simply wasn't the focus of our leadership - ask any of my trustees or deacons.  Yes, we were wounded and hurt and angry, but we had one thing that we looked forward to - a day when forgiveness would be publicly granted and restoration would be pursued.   And that day came - on Sunday, October 13, 2024.

On that day, Greg Neal stood in front of our church, and in so many words, sought forgiveness from our church. Now, for some people, they (understandably) wanted particular things said, and maybe they were met with some disappointment. But on that day, Greg stood in front of our church body, listened to the hurt that he had caused, and then he sought forgiveness... And it was granted. And I believe it was honoring to the Lord that this was done - both him seeking forgiveness and us giving forgiveness and allowing restoration.

Now, here are a few extra thoughts:

• Greg is not part of our particular church body.  He attends a very good local church, and he is continuing the work with the Lord in his own life with our full blessing and forgiveness. He has served prison time and has also been mandated to pay back the church a little bit every month.  He is doing what he has been instructed to do, and that is a good thing. 
• If you see him, you can know that he is welcomed at our church for worship and fellowship. 
• Sometimes those wounds still hurt, and if you were someone who was seriously hurt by his actions, you might have to forgive today all over again.  It would be great if wounds only hurt until you forgave and then they were gone, but that's not how it typically goes.  Old wounds raise old feelings of anger, and it's easy for unforgiveness and then even bitterness to come back. So I will simply point you to the warnings Jesus gave in the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21-35, and encourage you to forgive again. 
• Lastly, operate with people the way that God operates with you.  How many times have you hurt the Lord with your sin - the SAME sin - the REPEATED sin - the UNMENTIONABLE sin... and yet, He forgives YOU. So in the same way, forgive others, and do what you can to see people restored in their walk with the Lord. 

"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:14-15)